With the closing of Mi La Cay Restaurant on Oct. 29, it’ll be hard to ignore the sizable hole left in Little Saigon—just look how long the lines were in its final days. For 34 years, the noodle shop was a community gathering place not only for the Vietnamese community, but for diners across Seattle. If you’re looking to support other restaurants in the area—or simply have a pho craving you can’t shake—pay Bò Né House & More a visit. Or pick up a coffee and bánh mì kẹp (pressed and packed with plenty of flavor) from Hello Em.
Meanwhile, across Lake Washington, a high-profile restaurant group is preparing to expand.
Bellevue lands a Sea Creature
Renee Erickson, the James Beard Award-winning author and chef behind Jeffry’s and The Walrus and the Carpenter, will bring her Sea Creatures restaurant group outside of Seattle for the first time. The unnamed venture is set to take over a slice of The Eight’s ground floor, becoming the premier dining tenant in the 25-story office tower. Stay tuned for more information on an opening date and concept.
A wine lover’s happy hour
And it’s happening Tuesday through Saturday at Peyrassol West in Normandy Park. From 4-5:30 p.m., guests can sip on four different pours and enjoy a trio of rotating appetizers for $19. Flavors are decidedly European, from the Bodegas La Caña Albariño sourced from Spain to the piadina flatbread, a favorite of Italy’s Emilia Romagna region. Other possible dishes include steak bites, roasted beets with chèvre, and house olives infused with lemon zest, red pepper flakes, thyme, and crushed garlic. Enjoy at the bar, in the dining room, or if the weather’s cooperating, out on the fall patio.
Brief beef
In the culinary world, “counter service” and “steakhouse” are not typically plated together, but Yukon, a concept from Sugar Mountain (the company behind Beecher’s and The Butcher’s Table), is pushing the boundaries of the status quo. Now open in Redmond’s Rail District, the restaurant keeps things simple—just choose your cut, pick a sauce, add sides like beef tallow roasted potatoes or a house salad, and you’ll be on your way to enjoying American Wagyu beef sourced in-house through Sugar Mountain’s Mishima Reserve and WinterFrost brands.
PNWhiskey
Westland Distillery’s Garryana whiskey has made quite a name for itself over the years, capturing the unique terroir of the Pacific Northwest in a single malt aged in barrels of Oregon white oak—scientific name, Quercus garryana—a tree native to the region. Be one of the first to try this year’s release, Garryana Edition 11, at a party in SoDo on Saturday, Nov. 7; there will be live music, complimentary small bites and coffee, as well as insights from woodworking and coopering professionals to go with the rich and spicy spirit.
Hot water with the IRS
The future of Single Shot in Capitol Hill is uncertain after owner Ruadhri McCormick was sentenced to 13 months in prison stemming from his failure to pay more than $1.4 million in employment taxes between 2014 and 2024. According to federal prosecutors, an investigation showed that McCormick spent nearly $400,000 buying and remodeling a Vashon Island home, nearly $125,000 on casino expenses, and more than $38,000 on travel. Some of the approximately 87 people who worked at Single Shot during the span may receive lower federal retirement benefits due to the unpaid taxes.
